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AutoCAD beginner


rahuldaso

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Find a set of tutorials you like and go through them. Different people learn in different ways, so you'll have to try a few to get the best fit. The same applies to books, if you're into print.

 

For reference, Autodesk has a Knowledge Base. It's their product, who better to turn to? Nobody can remember every option for every command, and I'm still finding obscure, useful stuff after 25 years.

 

As always, the best way to learn is to practice. Don't be afraid to make mistakes, you can always bail out of a drawing and start over.

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You want to know how to learn AutoCAD?  There are many ways.  You could...

1. Self learn using a good AutoCAD aftermarket book such as those written by George Omura.

2. Self learn by signing up for online tutorials at Lynda.com.

3. Self learn by utilizing the free AutoCAD tutorials at MyCadSite.com.

4. Find a mentor.

5. Sign up for a basic AutoCAD class at an Authorized AutoCAD Reseller.

6. Sign up for a basic AutoCAD class either at a local community college or an adult education center.

7. Purchase basic and advanced AutCAD training CD's or DVD's.

These are some of the options available to you.  Select one that fits your budget and lifestyle then go for it.  Good luck in your endeavors.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I was fortunate enough to have a Drafting program in high school that I was a part of for all four years, funny enough, the class started with about 30 students the first year, about 20 the second, 10 the third an finally 5 in the final course lol. Not for everyone, but I had a blast and learned a lot about the basics & made some good friends. It helped me get started in my field, but as always there's also so so so much more to learn, especially with the wide range of work you'll end up doing.

 

Anywho.. I know this post is a little old, but thanks to Oscar here I saw it pop up & figured I'd give my two cents, in case OP is still checking back or another beginner stumbles across this.

 

@rahuldasoBesides the fantastic recommendations above, there is also a decent amount of material here in this very site! https://www.cadtutor.net/tutorials/autocad/ (Tutorials on other iterations of CAD are usually going to teach you the same way to do something with surrounding years of CAD, so don't worry too much about finding videos for your specific year of CAD)

 

The best way to learn, in my experience, is once you get the basics of CAD down such as the extensive and various methods of creation and manipulation of objects, layers, viewports, and general etiquette for your drawings, start getting crazy with it. If you're running into a problem, research it and try to fix it on your own with that newly acquired knowledge. If something doesn't seem right with your interface, or something just seems.. "Off", research, learn, and practice. Rinse & repeat.

 

Once you start finding yourself thinking "There HAS to be an easier way to do this." You're on the right track because when you're starting out you'll find that more often than not, there IS actually a better or easier way to perform most actions. Again, research what you're trying to accomplish and you'll find that you're not alone in your endeavor. 

 

Using CAD can be one of the most lucrative skills you can acquire in this day & age.. A good CAD technician is hard to come by (unless you're on this site ;) ) and pretty heavily sought after so if you start working somewhere, seek out the "CAD Guru" of the office & pick their brain if they're the teaching type and don't mind questions. As CyberAngel says, absolutely don't be afraid to make mistakes! Mistakes are the foundation of learning after all, and the only stupid question is the question you don't ask.

 

So take it one step at a time, watch the tutorials, ask your questions here, and maybe even search your Counties Public Records for a document you could try to recreate! Or even look around and try to recreate something sitting on your desk with profiles, to scale. As is always stated, keep in mind that there are always hundreds of different methods to perform the SAME task when using CAD, so find a method that jives with you and keep moving.

 

Good luck! Make sure to come back often to utilize everyone here at CADTutor! I know they've been an unbelievable tool for forwarding my understanding of CAD over the last few years. I don't think I would be where I am without them.

:beer:

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On ‎12‎/‎27‎/‎2018 at 2:38 AM, Oscar said:

 Lynda.com is so good, it covers alot of versions of autocad and its free for the first month. I learned alot of C3D from  Lynda.com.

 

You may even be able to access Lynda indefinitely via a public library membership.

Edited by hugha
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